Epilogue
by manyreasons
Summary: This is an extended epilogue of my other story called We're Tough Too. It's a series of one shots. Enjoy!
1. Promises Made

A brown eyed woman stood in front of a mirror. Her auburn hair was pulled into a fancy bun. Two curled strands of hair framed her face. A second woman was fussing with the bottom of the white dress. Three other women sat in the room behind the pair. The auburn grinned. The second woman stood up.

"You look beautiful, Jo."

"You really think so, Montie?"

The dirty blonde nodded. She began to giggle.

"I can't wait to see the look on his face."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he passed out," called Bo.

The five women laughed. There was a knock on the door. A pregnant Jack started getting to her feet. The brunette waved her off.

"I got it."

Donnie stood up and peeked through. She grinned as she made the door wider.

"Come on in, Sarge," she greeted.

"Sounding more like Reiben every day," he joked, "Where is she?" he asked.

Donnie pointed directly in front of them. Jo spun around as she stepped off the miniature lift. A bouquet of flowers were in her hands. Donnie turned to the other four women.

"C'mon girls. We should get out there."

Montie and Bo helped Jack stand up. The four left the room. Horvath grinned as he looked over the red head. She smirked.

"Give it to me straight," she said.

He chuckled. "You look gorgeous. Mellish is a lucky guy."

There was another knock on the door. Horvath opened it to see the wedding planner.

"That's our cue," muttered Jo.

Horvath stuck his arm out to Jo. She grabbed it as he led her out of the room. They walked through the hallway and into the narthex. Bo walked alongside Ryan. They were followed by Jack and her brother. Donnie and Reiben were on their trail. The last to go were Montie and Upham. Jo and Horvath shared a look before walking down the aisle. The small crowd of people stood up and saw a beaming Jo. She grinned as she saw Mellish staring at her with love. The pair stopped at the bottom of the altar.

"Who brings this woman to be married?" questioned the priest.

"I do," answered the sergeant.

Horvath hugged Jo. The man walked over and sat next to Miller and his family. The auburn walked up the steps and held Mellish's hand.

The ceremony went on without interruptions. When the couple finally kissed, Reiben let out a boisterous whistle. Jackson nudged him with a laugh. The wedding party quickly made it to the reception hall. Reiben and Donnie slow danced across the floor.

"When are you gonna ask him?" Reiben suddenly asked.

Donnie shrugged. "Soon. Does anyone know?"

He shook his head with a smirk. Donnie giggled. The two danced over to Miller and his wife. Donnie gave her fiancé a look once she figured it out. Before she could say anything, the ranger spun her. He ended up holding her hands while she faced outward. The brunette couldn't help but to giggle. Miller grinned at the pair.

"I'm glad to see you two enjoying yourselves."

"Thanks Cap'n. Donnie has a question for ya."

He faced the blushing woman. "What's your question?"

"I, uh, was wondering if you could walk me down the aisle for our wedding..." she trailed off.

Miller's gaze switched to her left hand. A shining diamond hugged her ring finger. He smirked.

"I'd be honored."

Grinning, the brunette let get of Reiben and embraced the captain. He chuckled as he returned the hug.


	2. Confrontation

"No way," exclaimed Bo.

"But it'd be good for you," defended Upham.

The violet eyed woman shook her head. She pulled out a cigarette and began to smoke it. She let out a groan.

"I told you what happened last time I tried. What makes you think it's gonna be any different?"

Upham sighed heavily. He had known it would be hard to convince her to try again. He had grown used to her stubborn attitude.

"You've been to war, that's what's different," he replied, "You said you told them you would fight?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but they didn't believe me."

"Then show them that scar you got in Russia. Or the one from France or Japan," he suggested.

Her eyes widened as the smoke flew from her mouth. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then quickly shut it. She leaned against the nearby building with a huff.

"Fine, but you're coming with," she complied.

He nodded. That afternoon, the pair hopped onto a train. Bo's knee started to shake. Noticing, Upham grabbed her hand and squeezed it. She looked at him with a gleam of thanks. After several hours, the train came to their stop. The pair stepped onto the platform. Bo's arm wrapped around her stomach. Her forehead was sweating, despite the cold air. She knew, if it weren't for Upham, she would have turned back by now. The pair continued to walk through the city streets and into the suburbs. Bo suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her gaze fixated on the cherry wood door she had known. The corporal laid his hand on her shoulder.

"You can do it, I'm right here."

She nodded as the two trekked up the walkway. They stopped right in front of the door. Bo held up her hand to knock. She sucked in a deep breath and pounded on the door. After a few moments, the door opened to reveal a blonde woman with violet eyes. She gasped slightly.

"A-Alice?" she asked.

"Hi, uh, mom," Bo replied. She started to ramble. "I honestly don't know what to say. I said I was sorry for leaving without a goodbye, but all you did was stand there. Dad spit at me and you did nothing! I felt alone, mom. Do you know how awful it feels to be alone? I told you I would fight. And I did. And I met some pretty great people. They made that feeling go away, they became my family. I saw them die and I saw them wounded. I saw them laugh, and I saw them cry. Not once did they tell me I was a disappointment or a failure. They had my back, no matter what I did. I know this is a lot to process, but the real reason I came here was to tell you that you're still my family. And even though you treated me like complete shit, I still love both of you. I know I'm not a peach either, hell I'm a thorn in everyone's side, but I still care about you..." she paused as she thought about what she just said.

Bo watched the woman carefully. She could tell her mother was trying to process what she had just threw at her. Her violet eyes swept back to Upham. The corporal gave an encouraging nod. She looked back at her mother. Her violet eyes scanned her daughter. She let out a deep sigh.

"Alice, did you really fight?"

Inwardly groaning, Bo nodded. She lifted up the bottom half of her shirt. A long scar stretched across her stomach.

"That's from Russia. I-I was thrown into the barbed wire. Spent three days at Sick-bay recovering."

She lowered her shirt. Bo continued to lift up her pant leg. A smaller scar wrapped around her ankle.

"That's from Japan. A soldier tried to slice it off. I was lucky not to lose my foot."

She released her pant leg. She rolled down her shirt until her shoulder was showing. A circular scar showed itself.

"That's from France, my last battle. I couldn't sleep on it for five weeks."

The mother watched on with little emotion. She stood with an icy glare. Her arms remained crossed. After a moment, some of it melted.

"Was it worth it?" the blonde muttered. Bo nodded. "Your father's dead. Died the day after you tried to come back."

The jet black haired woman dropped her jaw. Her arms curled around her stomach as she hunched over. A sound of wailing escaped her lips. Tears burst from her eyes. Upham rushed to her before she could fall over. His dark gaze shot to the woman. Her eyes held small tears. Upham grew angry. He turned to his friend. He then shot his gaze back to the mother.

"How could you? She comes all the way here to apologize and you just tell her this? You don't even accept her apology?"

He turned around as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He spun around as Bo gripped onto Upham for support. The two hugged each other as the mother closed the door. A few long moments later, the two started heading back down the street. Bo laid her head on Upham's shoulder. The dark eyed man looked down at her.

"I'm sorry, Bo. I was wrong."

"It's okay Tim. It did help, getting things off my chest. Besides, now I get to stay with you."

Upham chuckled quietly. "Yeah. You do."


	3. Family Ties

Montie swept the front porch. The sound of a car brought her to look up. Across the ranch, she could see a black car heading toward the house. Within moments, the car was parked. Montie raced down the steps and over to the car. She embraced Jack as she stood out of the car. Ryan walked over and gave the dirty blond a hug.

"Where's Daniel?" inquired Jack.

"He's inside, trying to build a crib."

"I'll go give him a hand," Ryan replied while heading inside.

Two children hopped out of the car. Montie knelt on one knee as a boy and a girl ran into her arms.

"Sean! Petra! You both have gotten so big," she commented.

"Aunt Rae?" asked Sean, the blond, "Momma says we're gonna have a cousin soon. Is that true?"

"She says they're in your belly," Petra, the brunette, added.

Montie giggled and nodded.

"Your momma's right."

"Is she gonna be a she?"

"Or a he?"

"Promise not to tell Uncle Dan?" she whispered.

They both nodded.

"Your cousin is a girl."

The twins grinned and gave the woman a hug. Holding them, she stood up. Jack quirked a brow.

"He doesn't know yet?"

Montie shook her head. "He said he wanted to be surprised."

The two headed toward the ranch house.

"Dinah," Jackson said as he hugged his sister, "How are ya? Ya look great."

Jack chuckled. "Aw shucks. I'm doin' fine."

The blond turned toward Petra. He pulled her from Montie's arms.

"Howdy Pete!"

"Hi Uncle Dan! Is dinner ready yet? I love Aunt Rae's food."

"That's a good question." He turned to his wife. "Do ya need any help?"

She chuckled and shook her head.

"As long as no one interrupts, it'll be done by three."

Dinah Lee took Sean and held him up.

"Ya hear that? No interrupting Aunt Rae, okay?"

The two kids nodded with glee. The three adults and two children headed back inside.


	4. Terrors

A sudden twitch awoke the sleeping Mellish. He quickly sat up and looked to his right. He saw Jo fidgeting slightly as sweat beat down her forehead. Quickly, Mellish started shaking her.

"Jo, it's okay. It's just a nightmare."

Her eyes snapped open as her hands coiled around one of his arms.

She whimpered, "Mel. Mel."

Her breathing was ragged and heavy. Small tears cascaded down her cheeks. Mellish brought her into a hug. Her body shook with violence. He stroked her hair as he calmed her down.

"Sh. It's okay. I'm here," he paused, "Was it Donnie again?"

She shook her head. "No, this time it was C-Caparzo."

His eyes widened. He knew she had the same nightmare with a different person each time. Most recently, Donnie had been the one running into death. He was shocked that his late best friend had appeared this time. He continued to rub her back soothingly.

"It was just a nightmare. Carpy's been gone awhile, okay? Everything will be just fine."

The pair held each other close as silence filled the room. Mellish rested his chin on top of Jo's head. She turned it slightly downward as she took deep breaths. Moments later, she returned to sleep. However, her husband wasn't so lucky.


	5. Thanksgiving

A knock at the door brought Bo's attention from setting down the turkey. She walked over to the door. She opened it to see Reiben, holding a little girl, and Donnie.

"What's up Buttercup?" Reiben spoke.

"I'm so glad you made it. You're the first ones here," she spoke, "Upham! Donnie and Reiben are here!"

"Okay! I'll be right out," he called back.

She ushered the three inside. The little girl held onto her father's shoulder.

"Is she sleeping?" Bo inquired.

"No, she's just being shy," explained Donnie, "C'mon Mary. Don't you wanna say hi to Auntie Bo?"

She slowly lifted her brunette covered head and slightly glanced at the jet black haired woman. Bo waved her hand slightly.

"Hi Mare-Bear."

"Hi Auntie," she muttered.

"There ya go, Sweetpea," Reiben encouraged.

He kissed his daughter's cheek and set her down. Upham walked out from the back room.

"There's the strange bird," Reiben announced.

He chuckled. "Good to see you too."

Donnie and Bo went into the kitchen as the boys and Mary sat on the couch. The boys conversed while the little girl colored in a drawing book. Around ten minutes later, another knock was at the door. Upham hurried over and opened it. He was immediately trapped in a hug.

"Hey Montie, how are you?" he asked with a chuckle.

"I'm great!"

"Hey Sugar, where's my hug?" called Reiben.

Montie chuckled and attacked Reiben with the same kind of hug. Jackson walked into the room with his daughter on his shoulders. He glanced up at her.

"Ready to come down, Anna?" he asked.

She nodded her head. The former sniper set the blonde little girl down. Anna rushed over to Mary and started to color with her. Reiben shook Jackson's hand.

"Glad you could make it, Bumpkin."

Jackson smirked. "I reckon it's been awhile."

"Adrian Irwin," someone yelled from the hallway.

The adults cocked their heads to the side in curiosity. Bo and Donnie peeked from the kitchen as well.

"Don't you dare do that again," the voice continued.

It lowered into just a low rumbling as the woman continued to discipline her child. After a few moments, Mellish and Jo walked in with their son. The little boy wiped his nose. The adults let out a burst of chuckles and giggles. After a moment, the family of three did as well.

"Who knew you could be so feisty, Pumpkin?" Reiben teased.

"We did," Montie chimed.

Mellish kissed Jo's forehead. The couple moved over to the couch. Adrian started talking to Anna and Mary. Moments later, Horvath and Miller showed up. The girls hugged both men excitedly.

"Where's the family, Cap'n?" Upham questioned.

"We already did Thanksgiving with our families. The girls were a little sick of eating turkey."

"Is everyone here?" Horvath inquired.

"Just about," rang Mellish, "Hey Adrian! Come and say hello to your Godfather."

"You too Mary and Anna," encouraged Montie.

The three children ran over to the men. Adrian hugged Horvath while the girls hugged Miller. After a moment, they switched.

"There's Cupcake," Reiben said suddenly.

He strolled over to Ryan and Jack. Their twins rushed over to Miller and Horvath. The ranger shook Ryan's hand before noticing Jack holding a small bundle. He grinned.

"Hey Bumpkin, I think you've got your second niece," he called.

Jackson rushed over and beamed at his sister. She grinned back.

"What's her name?" he whispered with awe.

"Daniella Margaret Ryan," Jack replied while handing the child over to him.

He held the sleeping babe gently. The adults all sat down on the couches in the living room. The children sat on the ground coloring. The newest child was passed from Jackson to Bo. She smiled at the child. Jo nudged Mellish and pointed to Upham. They saw how he was watching the violet eyed woman playing with the baby. Mellish stood up and walked over to the corporal.

"Hey Upham," he whispered, "She really likes kids, huh?"

"What? Yeah," he responded.

"How long have you two been living together?"

"Since we came back, so almost seven years," he replied.

"And how many girls have you, ya know..." Mellish trailed off.

Upham glanced at him curiously.

"What are you getting at?" he questioned.

Mellish held up his hands.

"Just asking some questions."

Jo snickered off to the side. Donnie walked into the room. She clapped her hands together.

"It's time for dinner," she announced.

The large group headed over to the tables. The children sat over at the smaller table. Upham gave thanks. As soon as he was done, everyone starte grabbing for food. As they filled their plates, they reminisced with one another. Their laughter was gleeful and boisterous. They updated each other on recent events in their lives. The girls chatted about certain things, while the men had their own conversations. Bo stood up and walked into the kitchen. She returned with a bottle of champagne. She held it up.

"Who wants some adult juice?" she joked, censoring herself for the children.

Mellish held his glass out.

"Jo can't have any, but I'll take some."

Bo quickly filled the glasses for those who wanted it. Miller scratched his head. He quirked a brow at Mellish and Jo.

"Why can't Jo have any wine?" he asked the husband.

Jo grinned at him and nodded. Mellish slowly stood up.

"I, um, we would like to make an announcement," he started as the others quieted down, "Jo's pregnant."

Montie squealed.

"Oh my goodness! That's so exciting!"

"Congratulations," Miller offered.

"Is it a boy, or a girl?" Ryan questioned.

"It's a boy," replied the auburn.

"What's the name?" continued Donnie.

The auburn glanced at the captain and sergeant.

"His name's gonna be Jonathan Michael."

The two men beamed with pride. The others nodded in approval. Reiben stood up with his glass.

"I'd like to give a toast."

He waited as the others held up their own glasses.

"To the best sons of bitches, and the toughest women I've ever known. You've truly become my family. Cheers."

"Cheers," the rest said in unison as the clanked their glasses together.

They each took a sip. The group of close friends continued their meal. When it was over, the women started to wash the dirty dishes. The men entertained the children. As all great times do, the night eventually came to an end. Sleeping children were carried out by their parents. Miller held Sean in order to help Jack and Ryan, each holding their other children. Bo and Upham waved goodbye until everyone had left. The violet eyed woman began to fiddle with the table cloth.

"Goodnight Bo," whispered Upham.

"G'night Tim," she replied.

"Drink some warm milk."

Bo glanced up and cocked her head to the side.

"Warm milk helps me sleep when I can't," he explained.

She lowered her eyes sheepishly.

"Thanks. I'll try that."

Upham strolled back into his room. Bo set down the table cloth and walked to the fridge. Before she opened it, she noticed a glass of milk sitting out. Smirking, Bo popped it into the microwave. After a few seconds, she grabbed the milk and drank it. She turned off the lights as she headed back to her room, sighing with content.


End file.
